Haswell laptops to be much more expensive initially

DigiTimes reports laptops based on Intel's Haswell platform will be significantly more expensive as notebook makers are still digesting inventories of Ivy Bridge systems. The site heard Ivy Bridge systems will be about 20-30 percent cheaper than Haswell models, and the price gap will potentially hit 40 percent in July as firms clear out their inventory.

Currently, notebooks featuring a Haswell-based Core i7 processor are priced at around NT$38,000 (US$1,257), higher than the NT$30,000-31,000 for models with the same specifications, but the Ivy Bridge-based platform.

However, despite the price gap, demand for notebooks remains weak in the retail channel, the sources noted.

To boost demand, Intel has recently offered the Refresh promotion, authorizing several major retail locations to offer discounts to consumers with exchange code. The promotion is offered directly by Intel itself.